Labeling-machine.



l. R. RATNER.

LABELING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT-31,1912.

Patented Mar. 28,1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

'ms COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH p0,, WA5H1NGTON. n. c.

I. R. RATNER.

LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-'31, 1912.

1,176,85. Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

I mmmilmn I I. R. RATNER.

LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 31. 1912.

1,176,85. Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

ETSSHEE'[ 3.

73 /2'0 Z 22 M W mm in l ll THIS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

I. R. RAINER.

LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 31, 1.912.

1,176,854. Patented Mar. 28,1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

l v I I I I ISIDOR R. RATNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT PICK 8: 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LABELING-MACHINE.

, Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

Application filed. Gctober 31, 1912. Serial No. 728,757.

1 chines, for example, such as are adapted to apply labels to match boxes or other articles. The invention designs to provide a label-affixing machine of this type which is simple in operation and construction, has a great capacity, and by which the labels willbe elfectively applied to the boxes.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims atthe conclusion hereof. T v

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machineembodying the invention. -Fig. 2 is a plan, partsbeing shown in section. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section. Fig. i is a transverse section taken on line -14 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line et 1 of Fig; 4. Fig. 5 is a detail transverse sectionshowing the paste reservoir and associated parts. Fig. 5 is a section on line 55- of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken through the label-chute. Fig. 7 is'a detail of the device for pressing the labels into firm contao with the boxes. a V

The several parts of the machine are conveniently mounted upon a a suitable supporting-frame 12, and a table 13 which is secured on the frame by bolts 14. A driveshaft 15 is sustained beneath the table in bearings 16 and serves todrive the several devices of the machine. A 1

The boxes to be labeled are placed in a vertical chute 17 which holds them in a stack and guides them onto the table 13 upon which the lowermost box of the stack Will rest. The chute is formed of a pair of channeled bars 18 which have their lower ends secured to the table by brackets 19,

the" lower ends of these bars terminating above the table to permit the lowermost box to be moved to the agglutinant-applyingdevice. A plunger 20 is slidably mounted in brackets'21 on table 13 and is adapted to push the lowermost box of the stack forwardly to the devices for applying agglutin-ant and the labels to the boxes. Plunger 20 is provided with a roller 22 which is dis posed below table 13 and extends into a cam-groove 23 of a cam 24 which rotates continuously with the drive-shaft 15. This cam serves to operate plunger 20 to feed the boxes singly from chute 17 to the paste applying and label-applying devices.

The machine comprises a reservoir 25 for a suitable agglutinant, such as paste. The bottom of this receptacle is formed by a perforated plate 26. This reservoir is vibrated by mechanism hereinafter set forth to cause the paste to be shaken and seep through the perforations in plate .26 and to 7 form drops on the bottom of the plate. The paste used for this purpose, is sufiiciently thick, so that it :will not readily escape through the perforations in plate 26 and the perforations in this plate extend over substantially the entire area of the bottom of the reservoir, which corresponds substantially to the area of the label to be applied, so that agglutinant will be applied and distributed over the box. This mechanism is simple and avoids the necessity of special means for spreading the agglutinant and in practice it is found that the seepage re sulting from vibration of the reservoir containing the paste, will cause substantially the correct quantity of paste to pass through the perforated plate and be distributed thereby, for the application of a label.

gReservoir 25 is provided with groovedguides 27'. at its sides which are adapted to slide on vertical posts 28 which are secured to guides 29 between which the match-boxes are fed forwardly through the machine.

This reservoir is shifted conjointly with the label-applying device, by mechanism herein the stack to be brought into contact with the' box below the chute after paste has been applied, so that'a label will be'applied to each box as it is fed through the machine;

This chute comprises channel bars 31 (Fig.

5 which are fixed together bya plate 51 and bars 51? and '51". The lower end of chute 31 is open and the labels are frictionally held therein by a U-shaped spring strip 32.Which may be forced against one side. of

if the stack of labels with desired pressure by an adjusting screw 33 and has a label-supportinglip 32. A plate-spring is applied to hold this screw against displacement. A lip 34 on the lower end of a strip 35 which is yieldingly connected to one of the channel-bars 31 at another side of the stack in chute 31, serves, in conjunction with frictiondevice 32, to hold the labels in the chute.

A screw 36 is provided for adjusting strip 35 and lips 34, so that the lip will extend under the lowermost label of the stack a short distance to support the stack and to permit the lowermost label to be withdrawn from the stack when the label is brought into contact with the pasted side of a box. A liner 3l is secured in bars 31 to form one side of the chute and has a label-supporting lip' 31. Holes in bottom 26 are omitted at places corresponding to lips 32 34 and 31, sor no paste will be appliedto the boxes where these lips contact with the boxes.

A pair of bars 54 are slidably connected to the sides of chute 31 by guides 54 and the lower ends of these bars have abutments 46 disposed to rest upon a pair of posts 45 respectively. Stop-bars 52 are secured to bars 54 and are adapted to engage guides 54 on the chute to raise the latter. These bars 54 constitute a lost motion connection between the operating mechanism for the chute and the chute whereby the latter will be free to permit the lowermost label in the chute to rest upon the box to which it is applied, the weight of the stack and chute being applied to bring the label in contact with the box. Posts 45 are reciprocated vertically to operate the label chute, by a cam 42 on shaft 15, which operates a roller 43 on a cross-bar44 to which posts 45 are secured. The latter are slidably mounted in table 13 and guides 29. By means of this mechanism, the label chute with the labels therein will be raised and lowered once for each box fed into position below the chute and during the lowering movement the lowermost label in the chute will be applied to the face of the box with the paste thereon,

the lost-motion connection permitting the chute and its contents to be supported by the box to effectively apply the lowermost.

label in the stack to the box.

A follower 38 rests on the top of the stack of labels in the chute 31 and has an upwardly extending grooved stem 39. The follower is automatically secured in fixed position relatively to .the chute, by a pair of oppositely pivoted dogs which have their inner ends disposed and formed to extend 1 into the grooves in the stem 39 and to clamp it between them except when the dogs are released during descent of bars 54 and while the chute is arrested by the boxes. The outer ends of dogs 40 normally rest upon stops 52 which are secured tobars 54, and

lowered relatively to the stem and follower to permit the dogs to release the stem, bracket 53 resting upon the upper end of the chute. These dogs are thus operated. to sustain the follower against excessive pressure upon the stack of labels and to release the follower at the time when thestack has been lowered to cause the lowermost label in the stack to rest upon the pasted face of the box. After initial upward movement of the bars 54 and stops 52, the latter will engage dogs 40 to render'them operative to hold the follower and cause it to move upwardly in unison with the chute and the stack of labels therein. Pins 39 'are secured to stem 39 to prevent the follower from falling through the chute-when the latter is en1ptied, these pins being disposed to strike bracket 53 to arrest the follower. An important advantage resulting from this device is that a follower of considerable weight 1 may be employed without danger of forcing the labels out of the issue. Another advan tage of the construction set forth is that bracket 53,'dogs 40 and the follower may be readily lifted away from the chute when the latter is to'be reloaded.

The label applying device is adjustable laterally and longitudinally so that the labels may be applied 'in any desired position on the boxes. For this purpose, crossbar 49 which supports guide 48 on which the chute is mounted, is slidable transversely in a guide 56 on the table 13 and a longitu dinally adjustable guide 57 which is secured to a bar 58 which is held in a guide 59 which 58. By means of theswdjusting-screws, the

position of the entir abel-applying mechanism may be adjusted, both transversely and longitudinally, so that said mechanism will cause" the label to be applied in the desired position on the boxes passing under the label-chute. V

The paste-reservoir is reciprocated with the label-applying device to cause the paste to be applied to each box before it passes under the label applying device, by a pair of posts 66 which are secured to the camoperated bar 4 1 and have their upper ends disposed to engage and support arms 67 which are pivoted to lugs 68 on the table 13, and engage a cross-bar 69 which is secured to one side of the reservoir 25. Resultantly, the reservoir 25 will be raised and lowered once for each box fed through the machine and for each operation of the label-applying device, by the same mechanism which shifts the label-applying device.

A brush 70 is provided to serve as a device for pressing the applied labels on the boxes. This brush is secured to a holder 71, which is slidably mounted or guided vertically in guides 72 which are secured to a channeled extension 73 of the table. This extension lGCGlXGS and guides the boxes to which labels have been applied and the boxes are fed therethrough by the plunger 20 which acts upon the accumulated row of boxes on the table and this extension. This brush is lifted during the operation of ad vancing the row of boxes,-by a pin 7 4: which is secured to label-chute 31 and extends through a slot 75 in an extension 76 of holder.

71. This operating connection causes the Weight of the brush and holder to press the label on the boxes. Cam 42 which operates the label-applying device and the pastereservoir serves also to operate the brush, and thus, provides a simple mechanism for operating all of these devices conjointly.

In practice, match-boxes are usually packed in stacks, and not in rows as they are fed over the table 13 and extension 73. For the purpose of turning the boxes to rest upon one side, so that they will form the desired stack when turned from horizontal to vertical position, mechanism is provided for turnin or tilting the boxes as they leave extension 3. This mechanism comprises lever 78 which is pivoted at 79 and is operated by a roller 80 which is acted upon by cam 81 on shaft 15. The outer end of this lever is disposed to strike the boxes as they leave extension '73 and tilt them onto a guide chute 82, the bottom of which is formed of rods 83. The boxes are held against overthrow from the end of theextension 73 by an arm 89 on a rod 90 which is slidably mounted in guides 91, is normally pressed into position to cause arm 89 to hold the box by a spring 92, and is operated to release thebox when the latter is struck by lever 7 8 by an arm 93 on said lever.

A pusher 84: serves to feed the boxes in chute 82 forwardly and issecured to a rod 85 which is slidably mounted beneath the table and is provided with a roller 86 which is operated by a cam 87 on one side of cam 2%, Aspring '96 is applied to retract pusher 84L. Resultantly, during each operation or rotation of shaft 15, lever 7 8 and pusher 85 will be operated at once.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a label-aflixing machine, the combination of a support for the boxes, a reservoir for containing paste, means for applying labels to the boxes, the reservoir having a perforated bottom disposed above and overlying the surface of the box to which the paste is to be applied, and mechanism for jarring the reservoir to cause the paste to pass through the perforated bottom and to be discharged onto the boxes, comprising stop-means disposed to prevent the bottom from contacting with the boxes.

2. In a label-aflixing machine, the combination of a support for the boxes, a reservoir for containing paste, means for applying labels to the boxes, the reservoir having a perforated plate at the bottom thereof, disposedabove and overlying the surface of the box to which the paste is to be applied, and mechanism for jarring the reservoir to cause the paste to pass through the perforations in the plate and to be discharged onto the box, comprising stop-means disposed to arrest the plate and prevent it from contacting with the box.

3. In a label-aflixing machine, the combination of a support for boxes, a reservoir for containing paste, means for applying labels to the boxes, the reservoir having a bottom-plate disposed above and overlying the box to which the paste is to be applied, and having perforations therein extending over substantially the entire surface to which the label is to be applied, mechanism for j arring the reservoir to cause the paste to pass through its bottom and to be discharged onto the boxes, comprising stop-means disposed to prevent the bottom from contacting with the boxes.

4. In a label afiixing machine, the combination of a table for boxes, mechanism for feeding the boxes in succession across the table, a reciprocable reservoir for containing paste, having a perforated bottom, and mechanism for jarring the'reservoir to cause the paste to seep through its bottom and be applied to the boxes, and shifting the applying means and the feed-means conjointly, said shifting mechanism comprising a shaft beneath the table and cams.

5. In a label-aflixing machine, the combination of a table for boxes, a reciprocable plunger on the table for feeding the boxes V111 succession over the table, a reciprocable reservoir for containing paste, a reciprocable device for applying a label to each box, the reservoir having a perforated bottom, and mechanism for conjointly shifting the reservoir to cause the paste seeping through its bottom to be applied to the boxes, the applying-means and the plunger comprising a shaft beneath the table and cams.

6. In a label-affixing machine, the combination of a support for boxes, a paste applying device, a chute, a label-holder slidable transversely of the chute, mechanism for operating the chute into position to place the lowermost label on the box, a follower in the chute, and means for securing the follower to prevent it from pushing the labels out of the chute.

7. In a label-affixing machine, the combination of a support for boxes, a pasteapplying device, a chute for containing labels, mechanism for operating the chute to apply the lowermost label to a box, a follower for the labels in the chute, a gripping device comprising oppositely disposed gripping dogs for the follower, and a lost motion connection between the chute and the mechanism for operating said chute.

8. In a label aflixing machine, the combination of a support for boxes, a pasteapplying device, a chute for containing labels, mechanism for operating the chute to apply the lowermost label to a box, a follower for the labels in the chute, a gripping device for the follower and a lost motion connection between the chute and mechanism for operating said chute and a lost motion connectionbetween the chute and the gripping device for operating the latter to release the follower when the chute is on the box. a

,9. In a label-affixing machine the combination of a support for boxes, a paste-ap plying device, a chute for containing labels, mechanism for operating the chute to apply the lowermost label to a box, a follower for the labels in the chute, a gripping device comprising oppositely disposed gripping dogs for the follower, a support for the gripping device slidably connected to the chute, and means on the chute for engaging the gripping device. 7

10. In a label-affixing machine, the combination of a support for boxes, a paste-applying device, a chute for containing labels, mechanism for operating the chute to apply the lowermost label to a box, a follower for the labels in the chute, a gripping device comprising oppositely disposed gripping dogs for the follower, a support for the gripping-device slidably connected to the chute, and removable from the chute with the follower and means on the chute for engaging the gripping-device.

11. In a label affixing machine, the combination of a support for boxes, mechanism for feeding the boxes in succession over the support, a reciprocable reservoir containing paste, a reciprocable chute for containing labels, mechanism for conjointly shifting the succession over the table, driving mechanection between the chute and the presser device for operating the latter.

13. In a label afiixing machine, the combination of a support for boxes, mechanism for feeding the boxes in succession over the support, a reciprocable reservoir containing paste, a reciprocable chute for containing labels, a follower in the chute, mechanism for conjointly shifting the reservoir and the chute comprising a shaft and a cam on the shaft, a cross bar and posts on the cross bar.

14. In a label-affixing machine, the combination'of a support for boxes, mechanism for feeding the boxes in succession over the support, a reservoir for paste, a chute for containing labels, and mechanism for conjointly shifting the reservoir and the chute comprising a shaft and a cam on the shaft, a cross-bar and posts on the cross-bar.

15. In a label-affixing machine, the combination of a support for boxes, mechanism for feeding the boxes in succession over the support, a reservoir containing paste, a chute for containing labels, a presser device for the applied-labels connected to the chute, and mechanism for conjointlyshifting the reservoir and the chute, comprising a shaft and a cam on theshaft, a cross-bar and posts on the cross-bar.

V 16; In a label-afiixing machine, the combination of a support for the boxes, mechanism for feeding theboxesin succession over the support, a reservoir for paste, a chute for containing labels, a follower in the chute, means for guiding thechute, means for adusting the guiding means longitudinally and transversely relatively tothe boxes, and mechanism for operating the chute, 1

17 In a label-affixing machine, the combination ofa table for boxes, a device for applying paste to the boxes,'a label-applying device, mechanismfor feeding the boxes in nism, means for tilting the labeled boxes at the end of the table to place them on their a sides, and a pusher slidably'operated vby the driving-mechanism for "feeding the tilted boxes. Y i V 18. In a label-'aflixing machine, thecombination of a table for boxes, a deviceifor applying paste to the boxes, a label-apply mg device, mechanism for feeding theboxes inssuccession over the table, driving-mechanism', means for tilting the boxes at the end of the table to place them on their sides, and a device at the end of the table for holding the boxes there.

19. In a label-affixing machine, the combination of a table for boxes, a device for applying paste to the boxes, a label-applying device, mechanism for feeding the boxes 1n succession over the table, driving-mechanism, means for tilting the boxes at the end of the table to place them on their sides, a

device at the end of the table for holding the boxesthere, and a lever and cam for operating the holding and tilting devices.

of the table to place them on their sides and a yielding device at the end of the table for holding the boxes.

ISIDOR R. RATNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

